The Black Ferns are defending champions, beating England 41-32 in the 2017 final.Įngland showed just how far ahead it is of the opposition in late 2021 when it thumped New Zealand 43-12 and 56-15 before hammering Canada 51-12 and the U.S. The Red Roses are riding a 25-match win streak and have not been beaten since a 28-13 loss to New Zealand in July 2019.

“They think we have a really good shot in our analysis of the other teams.”Įngland, two-time champions and five-time runners-up, will be hard to beat, however. “I won’t claim to have the experience to know exactly what it takes to win a World Cup yet, but I think we have a group that can do that from what our more experienced players say,” said de Goede, who plays No. While top-ranked England is the heavy tournament favourite with the second-ranked New Zealand Black Ferns also in the mix, third-ranked Canada hopes to change the odds. The tournament debutantes include captain Sophie de Goede, a 23-year-old rising star who will be earning her 15th cap for Canada.

13 Japan in Pool B play at Northland Events Centre in Whangarei, New Zealand.īeukeboom (50 caps), Alarie (41 caps) and Paquin (32 caps) bring some veteran savvy to the table for a team whose 23-woman matchday roster features 15 players making their World Cup debut. Tyson Beukeboom, Elissa Alarie and Karen Paquin kick off their third Rugby World Cup on Saturday when third-ranked Canada takes on No.

The new roses without a trace